The Meaning of Esther 3:12 Explained

Esther 3:12

KJV: Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.

YLT: And scribes of the king are called, on the first month, on the thirteenth day of it, and it is written according to all that Haman hath commanded, unto lieutenants of the king, and unto the governors who are over province and province, and unto the heads of people and people, province and province, according to its writing, and people and people according to its tongue, in the name of the king Ahasuerus it hath been written and sealed with the signet of the king,

Darby: Then were the king's scribes called, in the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month, and there was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the king's satraps, and to the governors over every province, and to the princes of every people; to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language: in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.

ASV: Then were the king's scribes called in the first month, on the thirteenth day thereof; and there was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the king's satraps, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and it was sealed with the king's ring.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then were the king's  scribes  called  on the thirteenth  day  of the first  month,  and there was written  according to all that Haman  had commanded  unto the king's  lieutenants,  and to the governors  that [were] over every province,  and to the rulers  of every people  of every province  according to the writing  thereof, and [to] every people  after their language;  in the name  of king  Ahasuerus  was it written,  and sealed  with the king's  ring. 

What does Esther 3:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Esther 3:1-15 - Race Prejudice Breeds Hatred
Josephus says that Agagite means a descendant of Agag, the common name for the kings of the Amalekites, Numbers 24:7. It is probably that something of the nature of religious homage to Haman was demanded, and this Mordecai could not tolerate for a moment. It would have been as bad as the falling down to worship the golden image of Dura. He, therefore, sturdily refused. What diabolical cruelty was here, to meditate the destruction of a nation to satisfy a personal grudge! The resolve was taken in the first month, when Esther had been queen for five years; but the lot indicated the twelfth month for its execution, so that Esther had twelve months in which to oppose the plan. The disposing of the lot was evidently God's, Proverbs 16:33. The bribe of four millions sterling, which Haman hoped to get from the spoils of the slaughtered Jews, without doubt helped to pave his way, and make the king favorable to his request. The matter was soon settled, and the posts were carrying the edict of slaughter to the furthest limits of the realm. It reminds us of the decree for the massacre of the Huguenots. But God was over all. The strongest assaults are vain against Him, Psalms 2:4. He will not let high-handed wrong proceed beyond a certain point, 2 Kings 19:28. Let us shelter behind Him and be at peace, Isaiah 54:14. [source]

Chapter Summary: Esther 3

1  Haman, advanced by the king, and despised by Mordecai, seeks revenge upon the Jews
7  He casts lots
8  He obtains by false accusations a decree of the king to put the Jews to death

What do the individual words in Esther 3:12 mean?

And were called scribes of the king of the month first on three and ten day in and [a decree] was written according to all that commanded Haman to satraps of the king and to the governors who [were] over that [were] over every province and each province and to the officials of and all people each and to every province according to its script and to every people in their language in the name of King Ahasuerus it was written and sealed with signet ring of the king
וַיִּקָּרְאוּ֩ סֹפְרֵ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֨ה עָשָׂ֣ר יוֹם֮ בּוֹ֒ וַיִּכָּתֵ֣ב כְּֽכָל־ אֲשֶׁר־ צִוָּ֣ה הָמָ֡ן אֶ֣ל אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנֵֽי־ הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ וְֽאֶל־ הַפַּח֞וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ עַל־ מְדִינָ֣ה וּמְדִינָ֗ה וְאֶל־ שָׂ֤רֵי עַם֙ וָעָ֔ם מְדִינָ֤ה וּמְדִינָה֙ כִּכְתָבָ֔הּ וְעַ֥ם וָעָ֖ם כִּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹ בְּשֵׁ֨ם הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹשׁ֙ נִכְתָּ֔ב וְנֶחְתָּ֖ם בְּטַבַּ֥עַת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

וַיִּקָּרְאוּ֩  And  were  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
סֹפְרֵ֨י  scribes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ  of  the  month 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: the new moon, month, monthly.
הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן  first 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֨ה  on  three 
Parse: Preposition-b, Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
עָשָׂ֣ר  and  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
יוֹם֮  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וַיִּכָּתֵ֣ב  and  [a  decree]  was  written 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
כְּֽכָל־  according  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
צִוָּ֣ה  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
הָמָ֡ן  Haman 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הָמָן  
Sense: chief minister of Ahasuerus, enemy of Mordecai and the Jews, who plotted to kill the Jews but, being foiled by Esther, was hanged, with his family, on the gallows he had made for Mordecai.
אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנֵֽי־  satraps 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפָּן  
Sense: satrap, a governor of a Persian province.
הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְֽאֶל־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַפַּח֞וֹת  the  governors 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: פֶּחָה  
Sense: governor.
עַל־  [were]  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מְדִינָ֣ה  that  [were]  over  every  province 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
וּמְדִינָ֗ה  and  each  province 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
וְאֶל־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
שָׂ֤רֵי  the  officials 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
וָעָ֔ם  and  all  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
מְדִינָ֤ה  each 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
וּמְדִינָה֙  and  to  every  province 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
כִּכְתָבָ֔הּ  according  to  its  script 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: כְּתָב  
Sense: a writing, document, edict.
וָעָ֖ם  to  every  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
כִּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹ  in  their  language 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לָשֹׁון  
Sense: tongue.
בְּשֵׁ֨ם  in  the  name 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ  of  King 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹשׁ֙  Ahasuerus 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹושׁ 
Sense: title of the king of Persia, probably Xerxes.
נִכְתָּ֔ב  it  was  written 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
וְנֶחְתָּ֖ם  and  sealed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָתַם  
Sense: to seal, seal up, affix a seal.
בְּטַבַּ֥עַת  with  signet  ring 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: טַבַּעַת  
Sense: ring, signet, signet ring.
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.